One of the revelations at FC Barcelona in the last season was Alejandro Balde, who took over the duties at the left flank over from the veteran Jordi Alba. The last season saw Xavi place a great responsibility and trust in the youngster, and Alba was relegated mainly to the bench for a significant part of the season.
With his meteoric rise last season, the club wants to ensure his long-term presence with the club. His current contract with the club ends in 2024, and according to SPORT, the Catalan club is looking to extend this contract till 2027.
The player and the club have virtually agreed to such a contract extension, and the club now aims to complete this operation before the league campaign starts for the next season.
Xavi plans to go into the next season with Balde as the clear starter, and with Marcos Alonso as his lieutenant. Keeping in view the player’s age, the club wants to extend his contract by three years. This contract would also protect the player from the approaches of other clubs, as it will include a release clause of €1 billion.
The club has assured the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, that his new contract will be registered with La Liga as soon as possible. The player himself is also committed to the club, and wants to remain at Barcelona for the upcoming years.
Mendes has held a number of meetings with the club in the last few weeks, which not only addressed the renewal of Balde, but also the file of Lamine Yamal. Another meeting is expected to take place soon, and both the club and the player are keen to conclude this renewal as soon as possible, preferably before the start of the next season.
